PS Vita System Software Update (v1.61)

Now that some of you early adopters have PlayStation Vita in your hands, we’re going to begin keeping you posted on any changes to system software here on PlayStation Blog.

In preparation for Wednesday’s wide release of PS Vita, tonight we’re making System Software Update (v1.61) available for download. If you are just turning on your PlayStation Vita for the first time, this update will add the following features:

A new application, (Maps), has been added to the home screen.

In addition to photos, you can now take videos using the Photo application.

You can now publish stories about the products that you rate in PlayStation Store to Facebook.

In near, players’ information is now displayed on the Discoveries screen. On this screen, a list of the online IDs of up to 100 players that you have encountered, and the number of times that you encountered each player, are displayed. Tap an online ID to display that player’s profile screen.

The Mac OS version of Content Manager Assistant for PlayStation has been released. The Windows version has also been updated.

You can download Content Manager Assistant from here. Refer to the website to find out how to install the application.

If you have already updated your PS Vita to 1.60, 1.61 will improve certain aspects of the system software.

There are a few ways to update the firmware on your PS Vita:

Select “System Update” under the “Settings” menu and download the firmware directly to your PS Vita over Wi-Fi.

Connect your PS Vita to a PS3 or a PC/Mac and update via Content Manager.

Hey PSN, release more demos on PSN for Vita, we want people to buy the games right, then release the demos that are available to retailers to Vita owners, I want to try them all out before I plunge the cash for them new games!

@grimmm it’s just the software update not the map thingy again// that’s in 1.60..

I agree with most people here, its really hard to jump from app to app it’s just getting annoying and kind of slow.. they should have made the “friend-party-message” app in one.. I hope this gets updated soon//

Ps vita is very nice was wondering if u guys can put an email app , and need an delete all button for messages received in group messaging. Ohh and one other thing when in standbye mode it always has to connect to the network when it wakes that’s ok but should be once not every app Eric please fix these issues

something that needs to be patched is when i sign in on my PS Vita it doesn’t show up on my ps3 (and im friends with my ps3) because i made a different account. it always shows im offline and that would be something worth looking into.
on the other hand love my PS Vita and enjoying it VERY much! i do reccomand against little deviants as a game to get. i was excited for it but is not that great. can’t wait for a Call of Duty game for it though! i hope news about that comes out soon!!!

PlayStation Vita is AMAZING!! So glad I preordered the first edition bundle.. one thing I hope you add in the near future… please add support for the Vita content manager to transfer my playlists for my MUSIC and PICTURES from my PS3.. would be very appreciative.. also speaking of NEAR… its cool to see soo many PlayStation Peeps living nearby. Cannot wait for COD Vita and NBA Vita 2k13!!

Is there any way to clear the Near location history? Every time I go do an Near update the Vita gets the current location successfully and then gives the Sharing Settings dialog. Once I click the Ok button to share my location a useless dialog says “An Error occurred” and then doesn’t send update data.

I have been stuck in this error case since 2/16/12 and the 1.61 Update did not fix the problem.

Hey guys since this new update everytime u change out games/cards or wutever u have to restart your vita or it says the file is corrupt. And also if u remove a game it try’s to install constantly unless u restart your vita. It has to be this update cuz I’ve been doing this for days and then as soon as I update my vita this happens. Well anyway u guys may wanna iron this out before the 22nd.

@71, you shouldn’t remove the card everytime you wish to use it, because vita = 1 memory card only, if you want to change our card (memory) you should turn off your vita then change it, you cannot do this at stand-by mode it will just corrupt all your file in the memory card.

@72 I’m not talking about the memory card. I have a 32GB memory card for that reason. I’m talking about the little cards the games come on….. U know the cards the games come on when u don’t download them…..

@44: Obvious troll is obvious. All hardware should have firmware updates these days. Every computer has updates. You remember those computers? They were short lived, eh? How about that iOS, perfect when it released and has been the same ever since! You really want something to be static forever and never change? Have fun with your walkman and toaster.

@5: That’s probably more taxing on the hardware. So I like it the way it is. I’ll never use Party, so why the hell should it be running within an app just so I can keep my friends list open? And why should Group Messaging be lumped in there if I don’t want to use it? I like it better separate. Lets people use what they want and leave the rest closed.

Hey PSN – A great feature on a competitors handheld console is the ability to download demos, software and firmware updates during ‘sleep’ mode. When the handheld is docked it is still connecting wirelessly and downloads these queued items. Any chance of seeing that on a Vita? Thanks and great work on the Vita – its looking so awesome!

now why cant we see ps3 system updates that are substantial like this instead of the usual “Improves playback of titles”

the PS3 is falling further and further behind on the features

just by changing simple things like moving “Eject Disc” back to where its underneath “Start” so i stop starting a stupid internet search for games i already know about instead of ejecting a game would work wonders

and hiding the plus features and move load screen for people that down have playstation plus and people that dont have the move controller would be nice.. o and 1 more thing.. leaving copy protection on certain games is a poor way to draw people to signing up to playstation plus too!!

i dont really care about facebook or twitter i just want some darn netflix sony better get this app up and going or i will be done with sony and i hope they are reading what im saying and they better pick up great games as well such as the atelier series harvest moon and way more Jrpgs then the psp because if they dont i will be done with them all together and also i hate call of duty wouldn’t even pay $10 for that crappy game

@64 Activision has announced that they do have a Call of Duty game releasing this fall 2012 for the PS Vita. What they haven’t said is if it’s a port of the PS3 and Xbox 360 version or a new IP version of Call of Duty. My guess though is that its a port. lol Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare was such a game changer for the 1st person shooter genre. But ever since, its like Activision has just been releasing updated versions with new mapsand weapons for $60. This series will be known as the game that revolutionized 1st person shooters but it will also be known as the biggest milking cow ever. This game just keeps getting milked and it just keeps on ticking. Now, Activision is going to be milking CoD on the Vita too! Jeez! Hopefully it’s decent and brings something new to this stale series.

As everyone before me has said, I have had the Vita since before the 15th and it has always had the Maps application and the ability to record videos. What is NEW with with this update? Oh, and I must agree with everyone asking for PSOne Classic support. Hopefully that will be available today along with the other apps that Rey said were scheduled to release. I love my Vita but of the 60 minis I have, and the 50 PS One classics, I cant seem to play any of them. I understand the PS One support wasn’t supposed to be available day one, but why won’t my Minis work? Also, Netflix/Twitter/FB/Four Square/ and the promised free AR games would be nice about now. Thanks for listening, rock on!